Availability of Microsoft Office Document Open Confirmation Tool (238918)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 for Windows NT 4.0
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 for Windows NT 4.0 SP 1
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 for Windows NT 4.0 SP 2
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 for Windows NT 4.0
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.02 for Windows NT 4.0
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.01 for Windows NT 4.0
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 for Windows NT 4.0
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 for Windows 98
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 for Windows 98 SP 2
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 for Windows 98
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 for Windows 95
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 for Windows 95 SP 1
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 for Windows 95 SP 2
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 for Windows 95
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.02 for Windows 95
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.01 for Windows 95
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 for Windows 95
  • Microsoft Outlook 2000
  • Microsoft Outlook 97
  • Microsoft Outlook 98
This article was previously published under Q238918

SUMMARY

Microsoft has released the Microsoft Office Document Open Confirmation Tool. This tool can be used to help protect you by always requiring confirmation before opening any of the following Microsoft Office document types in Internet Explorer and Outlook:

NOTE: Clip Art Gallery and PowerPoint Slide do not have associated file extensions.
  • Microsoft Clip Art Gallery
  • Microsoft Excel Worksheet (.xls)
  • Microsoft Excel Web Query File (.iqy)
  • Microsoft Excel OLE DB Query files (.rqy)
  • Outlook Item Template (.oft)
  • Outlook Item (.msg)
  • vCalendar File (.vcs, Outlook client only)
  • vvCard File (.vcf, Outlook client only)
  • Microsoft PowerPoint Slide
  • Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation (.ppt)
  • Microsoft PowerPoint Slide Show (.pps)
  • Microsoft PowerPoint Template (.pot)
  • Microsoft Word Template (.dot)
  • Microsoft Word Backup Document (.wbk)
  • Microsoft Word Document (.doc)
  • Rich Text Format (.rtf)
NOTE: This tool is not the solution to the Excel 97 "ODBC Vulnerability" issue that can affect users of Microsoft Office 97; however, it can help to protect you by issuing a security warning, allowing you to choose not to open a document. The Confirm tool changes the trust setting for Office document types originally altered by Office Setup. See the MORE INFORMATION section for information about how to manually configure the "Confirm open after download" setting for any file type.

MORE INFORMATION

This tool is available at the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=8B5762D2-077F-4031-9EE6-C9538E9F2A2F&displaylang=EN

Internet Explorer and Outlook issue a security warning by default before starting unknown programs or opening unknown files so you can choose whether or not to open them. This tool gives you the option to treat Office documents in the same way, preventing them from automatically opening when you click a link to an Office document, browse to a Web page that hosts an Office document, open e-mail that has an Office document, and so on.

How to View the Readme.txt File for the Confirm.exe Tool

To view the Readme.txt file for the Confirm.exe tool:
  1. Download the Confirm.exe tool to the root folder of you hard disk. For information about how to do so, please see the following Microsoft Web site:

    http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=8B5762D2-077F-4031-9EE6-C9538E9F2A2F&displaylang=EN

  2. Right-click Start, click Explore, click drive C, point to New on the File menu, and then click Folder.
  3. Type Readmetemp, and then press ENTER.
  4. Click Start, click Run, type cnfupd.exe /t:C:\readmetemp /c, and then click OK.
  5. Use Windows Explorer to view the Readme.txt file in the Readmetemp folder in drive C.

Switches for the Confirm.exe Tool

Example: confirm.exe [/q | /s | -q | -s] [/d | -d] [/c | -c]
  • /q (or /s) = Quiet or silent mode. This switch silently enables the "Confirm Open After Download" flag.
  • /d = This switch disables the "Confirm Open After Download" flag when in quiet mode. Note that this switch only applies when in quiet mode (/q or /s) and is meant to permit an administrator to reverse the default behavior.

How to Manually Change "Confirm open after download" Setting

If you are concerned about specific file types, you may want to manually change the "Confirm open after download" setting for one or more file types. To do so, use the appropriate method:

Microsoft Windows NT 4.0, Windows 98 and Windows 95

  1. Double-click My Computer, and then click Options (or Folder Options) on the View menu.
  2. Click the File Types tab, click a specific file type (for example, Microsoft Excel Worksheet) in the Registered File Types box, and then click Edit.
  3. Click to select the Confirm open after download check box, and then click OK.

Windows 2000

  1. Double-click My Computer, and then click Folder Options on the Tools menu.
  2. Click the File Types tab, click a specific file type (for example, Microsoft Excel Worksheet) in the Registered File Types box, and then click Advanced.
  3. Click to select the Confirm open after download check box, and then click OK.
For additional information, please see the following Microsoft Web site:

http://office.microsoft.com/Assistance/9798/mdac_typ.aspx

Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:11/21/2005
Keywords:kbdownload kbinfo KB238918
©2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.